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No link is posted right now about the explosions near the Boston Marathon finish linebut just a Heads Up about them. Latest reports are that 2 hotels have had explosions. Some say theremay be another device or could be that has not exploded. Post links if ya got em !

Exhausted marathoners had to muscle the energy to flee the bloody scene.

Obama responds to Boston bomb attacks

First responder: Flashback to Iraq And more than 150 people were hospitalized, some in critical condition.

"No piece of information or detail is too small," the FBI Boston Division said, asking the public for any information or images that might provide clues.

Investigators don't know the motive for the bombings and don't have a specific suspect, nor have they found any surveillance video showing the bombs being placed, a law enforcement source told CNN on Tuesday.

While authorities search for answers, many are at a loss to explain why anyone would target an annual event that celebrates thousands of runners from around the world.

A stunning attack

The blasts happened in quick succession, near the row of international flags that led up to the finish line. The impact was so powerful, it whipped the limp flags straight out, as if they were caught in a hurricane.

It also knocked 78-year-old runner Bill Iffrig to the ground.

Get up-to-the-minute updates on CNN.com's live blog

"I was just approaching the last straightaway to the finish line, and I had a good day and was feeling really good, and I got down to within about 15 feet of the finishing apron and just tremendous explosion, sounded like a bomb went off right next to me," Iffrig said.

"The shock waves just hit my whole body and my legs just started jittering around. I knew I was going down," he said.

Iffrig was not seriously injured. But trails of blood, severed arms and legs and other body parts littered the scene nearby.

At least 144 people were hospitalized, with at least 17 in critical condition and 25 in serious condition, officials said. At least eight of the patients are children.

Dr. Albert Pendleton, an orthopedic surgeon who was helping staff the race's medical tent, told CNN on Tuesday it was "basically like the bomb took out he legs of everybody."

"It was horrific," he said.

A terrorism expert briefed on the investigation said doctors had removed ball bearings from patients wounded in the bombings, suggesting the bombs were designed to propel shrapnel.

But Dr. Ron Walls of Brigham and Women's Hospital, which received 31 patients, said the debris found in some patients' wounds did not appear to be from ball bearings.

"Everything we saw was sort of ordinary ambient material that could have been propelled by the blast but was not added to the device," Walls said. "It was not the kind of things that would be added to a device to make it more injurious than it otherwise would be".

Obama: 'We will hold them accountable' At Massachusetts General Hospital, several patients suffered from injuries to lower limbs that will require "serial operations" in the coming days, trauma surgeon Peter Fagenholz said Monday night.

He said the most serious wounds "have been combined, complex lower injuries that involve blood vessels, bone and tissue."

Numerous patients had to have limbs amputated, Fagenholz said.

The hunt for clues

Investigators don't know who was behind the attack, or whether it was spawned domestically or from afar. But federal authorities are classifying it as an act of terrorism.

Federal and local investigators -- including bomb technicians -- searched an apartment in nearby Revere, the city's fire department posted on Facebook early Tuesday.

The search is linked to a young Saudi Arabian man in the United States on a student visa, the law enforcement source who spoke to CNN on Tuesday said.

Nothing was found at the apartment linking the man to the bombings, the source said, cautioning not to read too much into the search as investigators will be talking to numerous people.

The search took place by consent, according to another federal law enforcement source, meaning no search warrant was needed.

A federal law enforcement official said both bombs were small, and initial tests showed no C-4 or other high-grade explosive, suggesting that the packages used in the attack were crude.

President Barack Obama, who said Monday the bomber or bombers would "feel the full weight of justice," received overnight briefings on the investigation, a White House official said.

The explosions went off near the finish line about 4 hours and 9 minutes into the race, within a 10-minute window of the average finish time for the marathon.

But the fact that the blasts took place near the end of the race "seems to indicate this was not geared toward maximum damage," said a former federal law enforcement official who now works in the intelligence community.

"It may speak volumes about the (level of) planning that went into this," the source said. "It raises questions ... why didn't the bombs go off when the crowd was packed in like sardines when the winners were crossing the finish line? It could mean the people behind it couldn't get access to the area when they originally intended."

Officials have no suspect in custody, but many people are being questioned, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

Investigators warned police to be on the lookout for a "darker-skinned or black male" with a possible foreign accent in connection with the attack, according to a law enforcement advisory obtained by CNN. The man was seen with a black backpack and sweatshirt and was trying to get into a restricted area about five minutes before the first explosion, the lookout notice states.

London Marathon security plans to be reviewed

Davis said authorities found at least one other explosive device that they were dismantling.

But Rep. Bill Keating, D-Massachusetts, said two undetonated devices were found.

One was discovered at a hotel on Boylston Street near the bomb site, and another was found at an undisclosed location, said Keating, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee. He called the bombing a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."

Any unexploded devices could provide a treasure trove of information such as fingerprints and indications of the bomb maker's design, said the former federal law enforcement official.

Late Monday night, authorities said they were still getting reports about suspicious packages, but some may be abandoned belongings left by fleeing spectators.

Davis said that while no new devices had been found, he is "not prepared to say we're at ease at this point in time."

'Just like going back' to Iraq

Nurses Stephen Segatore and Jim Asaiante were stationed near the finish line, expecting to treat the usual ailments from runners -- cramps and dehydration.

Suddenly, they found themselves in a battlefield, with blood and debris everywhere.

"For me, it was just like going back to being in Iraq in 2006-2007," said Asaiante, an Army captain who served an 18-month tour.

"I heard the first IED, and I know there's never one. The bad guys always set up two or three" improvised explosive devices, he said.

From celebration to carnage

The plumes of smoke and images of bloodied victims running down streets also triggered haunting memories of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Tami Hughes had just crossed the finish line and was looking for her husband when she heard a deafening explosion.

"I didn't know if it was a small aircraft going into the building," said Hughes, who was in the bustling financial district during the 9/11 attacks.

"I turned around and immediately saw the whitish-brownish smoke billowing up four or five stories and I couldn't believe that, you know, could it be a bomb? And I stared at it and about five or seven seconds later, when the second one went off, I knew immediately that it was something coordinated or organized."

Never the same again

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, dating back to 1897.

It's a tradition that not only symbolizes the arrival of spring in Boston, and it also marks Patriots Day, which commemorates the day of the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.

Each year, more than 20,000 pound the pavement through the winding streets of Boston as thousands of spectators cheer them on.

After Monday's tragedy, some wondered whether the spectacle would ever happen again.

"The Boston Marathon has endured two world wars and many other things," said Fred Treseler, who has helped train more than 3,000 athletes for the race.

"I am quite sure there will be a Boston Marathon next year. But for certain, the Boston Marathon has been changed forever."

No link is posted right now about the explosions near the Boston Marathon finish linebut just a Heads Up about them. Latest reports are that 2 hotels have had explosions. Some say theremay be another device or could be that has not exploded. Post links if ya got em !

ASEEKERTOO thanks for coming here and starting the Topic about what happened...This is the soonest I could get here...It was a real shock hearing about it last night...Truth be told I was busy on a project for Marshall and working on my house too and didn't tune into news at all...last night son called me about it...Well I am going to catch up on the posts. What I got is not much info being released. It is officially called a terrorist attack, which won't surprise anyone... FBI got on it right away...When I found out what happened to be honest it made me discouraged down to my bones...

Enlightenme (sent in msg too) thanks for your news post here.What made me so discouraged and depressed, just the thought of that glorious spring day with people from all over the world and that always being such a great day for Boston...and then having that glorious moment spoiled by such a shocking awful thing as a fatal bombing...What made it even more evil: So much love and planning went into the marathon event. I saw the photo of the little boy who got killed in the explosion. There was a surgeon interviewed who had done six surgeries already that day. There were a lot of amputations...The death toll would have been far worse except there are always ambulances and a lot of med people on scene at the finish line. Little did they know they would be instantly needed in a situation like that.Thank the Lord for all the med people, first responders and volunteers who helped get people to safety and to medical help...A lot of the people who helped were runners...- Barb ....................................................Opinion Response To Boston Marathon Bombing Reveals Heroic Side Of Humanity

I tried to avoid TV all day Monday. I didn’t want to see images of people torn to shreds by the bomb that went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It feels all too often of late that we are confronted with these tragedies (I hear your rebuttal that any tragedy is one too many.) I feel sickened, disturbed. There are moments when it is difficult to have faith in humanity, when we watch people murder one another. There are moments when it would be easy to throw our hands in the air and give in to desensitization. It would be all too easy to say it hurts too much to keep caring, to keep watching the images on our screens. We must not give in to that easy option, because through the smoke, ruin, and broken homes and lives, we will find a light.

When I finally did watch the video of the bomb going off, it wasn’t the people running away from the explosion that I noticed; it was those running toward it. We must mourn those who lost their lives Monday; we must do all we can to help those still struggling to keep theirs in the ER. But we must also celebrate a side of humanity that only tragedy can reveal. Today was scary. I will be the first to admit that. An event that is an annual celebration in Boston, more than just a regular holiday, was taken from us. If they can take the Boston Marathon, what can’t they take?

Answer: they can’t take the heroes among us. They can’t take the fact that while there are bad people in this world, there are far more people willing to sacrifice themselves to help another. A Mr. Rogers quotation circulated the Internet shortly after everyone had found out about the events. The quotation reads, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘look for the helpers.’ You will always find people who are helping.”

That quotation prompted the thought behind this column. We are a broken people. Our existence marred by our own desire to harm one another, to bring incomprehensible pain on each other. It would be easy to accept that and give up on the world. It seems that I keep coming back to that word: easy. It would be easy to walk away; easy to see the things we are capable of doing to each other and stop believing. It would be easy to look at the eight-year-old girl who lost her life in the blast while she was running, in the memory of the victims of the Newtown mass shooting and give up. But easy is never the answer. We are not to do the easy things in life. That eight-year-old girl wasn’t doing the easy thing being out on that course running, the first responders weren’t doing the easy thing when they raced in the direction of the explosion with no regard for their own lives.

It would be easy to focus on the tragedy of today, and to some extent we must to honor those who lost their lives. But it is our job to forego the easy option. We must look at the images of today and highlight those runners who kept on running to the blood bank to do their part to help. We must look at those who shone a light in a world obscured by smoke and pain. We cannot defeat the evil in this world by giving it its day. We will defeat evil in this world by showing it we cannot be broken. Good people will always come out on top; heroes will always live among us. We feel broken watching the videos of the bombs going off, knowing there were five more located around Boston waiting to be set off when they were discovered. We feel broken today mourning the loss of yet another child. But like the phoenix from the ashes of this bomb, the good among us will rise again.

Reach Columnist Calum Hayes here; follow him here.

PHOTO The response to the Boston Marathon bombings has revealed the best side of humanity. (Sonia Su, Creative Commons)

Hero of the Boston bombings: How father who lost his soldier son in Iraq saved lives after blasts rocked his home cityCarlos Arredondo's son Alexander Arredondo died in action in 2004In 2011 his other son Brian committed suicide just before ChristmasYesterday, Mr Arredondo was pictured helping in the aftermathThe 52-year-old is now being heralded as a true American hero

An inspirational anti-war protester whose soldier son died in Iraq and another took his own life is being hailed a hero after he selflessly rushed to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings seconds after the attacks.

Costa Rican immigrant Carlos Arredondo has described how he vaulted a fence to get to spectators, many of whom had lost limbs, and used his clothes and towels to stanch victims' bleeding.

'I jumped the fence after the first explosions and all I saw was a puddle of blood and people with lost limbs,' he told ABC News. 'I saw adults, much younger than myself -- ladies, men, pretty much everyone was knocked out.'

Mr Arrendono helped one victim, who was missing both his legs and drenched in blood, into a wheelchair that race medical staff had brought and said he kept talking to the man so he wouldn't lose consciousness.

'I kept talking to him. I kept saying, "Stay with me, stay with me,"' Mr Arredondo, who is a member of the Red Cross disaster team, told Maine Today.

There are already people and organizations on the ground helping the victims, and you can join their efforts.

(CNN) -- Patriots Day is the third Monday in April marking the anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. It is also the date for the Boston Marathon every year. It is meant to be a joyful celebration for the city, but yesterday that all changed.

Tragedy struck and lives were changed forever after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon. Instead of celebrating the city, a nation now mourns the loss of three and the injuries of more than 100. But true to the American spirit, there are already people and organizations on the ground helping the victims, and you can join their efforts.

One Fund Boston

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston's Mayor Tom Menino says the city has established 'One Fund Boston'. "At times like this we are one state, one city and once people," Governor Patrick said. Boston based insurance company John Hancock has already committed $1 million to the fund, which will raise money for families most affected by the bombings.

If you have not yet connected with your loved ones who were running the race, or if you were on the scene and haven't let your loved ones know where you are, please use the Red Cross's Safe and Well website. The Red Cross also has valuable information about dealing with an emotional crises.

Give Blood

Governor Patrick said there is a need for blood on a sustained basis. Anyone wishing to give blood should keep checking with local hospitals and organizations like the Red Cross in the near future to see where the need may be and where to donate.The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army deployed canteen trucks to the area to provide food. Officers have been dispatched to assist those in need.

"The Salvation Army continues to assist those impacted by the Boston Marathon explosions," Maj. Ivan Rock said. "Canteens were positioned at various sites throughout the city, including the Unified Command Post, the Family Assistance Center and Kenmore Square. An additional canteen roved throughout the impacted area supplying food, snacks and beverages to those in need. The Salvation Army will remain on site at the Family Assistance Center, located at the Park Plaza Castle as long as support is needed."

Rock continued, "The runners, their families, and the first responders also received emotional and spiritual care from 12 Salvation Army officers and 23 Salvation Army staff volunteers. Eight Salvation Army officers were deployed to various hospitals throughout the Boston area offering pastoral care as needed."

The Salvation Army has established a specific fund for the victims in Boston and you can donate to it here.

Boston Children's Hospital

Ten of the victims were taken to Boston's Children's Hospital. The hospital is updating its website with news as it becomes available. Follow @BostonChildrens on Twitter for updates.

The Children's Hospital website also has useful resources for guidance on how to talk to children after a tragedy.

Donate to Boston's Children's Hospital

Utilize social media

People often turn to Twitter for quick ways to connect. If you are in the Boston area and are looking for organizations seeking volunteers, or if you are far away but want to keep up with ways o help, follow the hashtag #BostonHelp on Twitter.

You also can keep up with us @CNNImpact or Impact Your World on Facebook as well as on our website................

There is a really inspirational Memorial Service going on now -inter-faith at Boston Cathedral.Channel 11 CNN.I have had to start/stop it. Not sure if it is still going.Worth watching. Of course WACO and other areas are being mentioned today in prayers and remarks.- Yowbarb

UPDATE: One suspect alive and on the run Dzhokhar Tsarnaev age 19. May be driving a gray Honda CRV MA plates 316 ES9May be in Connecticut.The suspects reportedly threw grenades out the window as they drove near MIT before the shootout.Shootout killed the older brother. It is "not known" why they committed the act of terror. - Yowbarb